Water Heart
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: It was supposed to be a harmless trip to the beach. That was all. Only it wasn't harmless. Hearts would be broken, love would be made, and overwhelming chaos would ensue for everyone! Inspired by the anime Seto no Hanayome. NarutoxHinata! Epic Fluff!


_A/N: This is based off the anime series "My Bride is a Mermaid". It's a comedy romance about a young boy and his family. The boy's name is Nagasumi, but anyway he was save from drowning in the ocean by a mermaid. Later on that day, the mermaid that saved him stops by his grandmother's house, to deliver some bad news. By law, if you see a mermaid's tail you and the mermaid will die. So Nagasumi, in order for him to live has to marry said mermaid, whose name is Sun. So now, Sun and Nagasumi get to know each other throughtout the series, and Nagasumi learns more about the life of an underwater dweller. For those of you who've seen the show, I know you enjoyed it, because I know I did! For those of you who haven't, the concept isn't really that hard to understand. Anyway, I hope fans of NaruxHina enjoy this version of it! :D And remember..._

**..._NEVER_ EAT BEFORE YOU SWIM!**

**Mermaid**

Was it really going to end like this?

His joints creaked, his muscles ached, and it felt as if a giant had just clapped its hands over his ears. And yet he felt nothing. That was not to say that he was not frightened. He was simply incapable of moving at the moment. Rather, he _could_ move, but his body refused to respond. It felt like he'd just been decked by his Grandmother Tsunade_-at whose house they were spending the summer-_and yet he couldn't discern the cause of it.

How was that possible?

The water was thunderously deep, but _he,_ had fifteen years of swimming experience from when he was a babe. And yet here he was. Drowning in the ocean. At the beach that his folks had taken him to for summer vacation. Was it really going to end like this? Was he really going to die out here at sixteen years of age? Alone? Just like that? It wasn't fair! IT WASN'T FAIR!

_'I can't move!'_

He swam everyday. Hell, he'd learned to swim before he could walk! Surely his swimming skills hadn't dulled. Or had they? Only yesterday he'd snuck out of the city to begin his daily morning swim. So why was it now, that his body betrayed him? _Oh._ With a merciless swiftness if occurred to him; the possibility of that last bowl of ramen that he'd eaten just a few minutes before jumping in. _Cramp._ Suddenly becoming a hammer when it came to swimming. Feeling the life leaching out of his limbs as he struggled toward the surface.

_'Move!'_

Oh no.

_"Move!'_

No.

_'MOVE!'_

_"No!"_ He screamed at himself as the current took him under; subsuquently exhausting his air supply. No no no NO!

Try as he might, the lad couldn't swim. He had no strength. It was all he could do to wrest his hand outward, flailing wildly for anything within reach as he began to sink. Was this the end, then? Was he going to meet his end in a watery grave? Best to save that for later, he mused. If, in fact, there was a later. With the last few precious seconds afforded to him, the boy thrashed desperately, struggling to find purchase upon the slippery stones that swept past him in the current.

_'Somebody!'_

The water was hot, stinging hot. He felt himself twisted; turned upside down, and then his head breached the surface. He gulped down a mouthful of air before the current had a chance to drag him under again. Now the water was pressing on every side, tight and constricting. Some part of him marveled that he was still alive. He counted the seconds, and at fourteen seconds, his lungs were already burning.

The pain was nothing, he told himself.

_'Anybody!'_

His back scraped against a rock and suddenly the pain became _unbearable._ The air was pressing its way up his throat, begging for release. It hammered at him. Just a little release, just a little. Abruptly, all forward motion ceased. The shock of it made him open his eyes. Hot, sour water attacked his eyes and he coughed. An enormous bubble of life-giving air rushed from his lungs.

He had less than a lungful of air and he wasn't going to make it another twenty seconds. His lungs burned. He surrendered and breathed. Scalding water poured into his lungs, drowning out all sense of self-_followed by air._ The blond coughed and the hot, acrid stuff shot from his nose and mouth. It seared his sinuses, but a moment later, sweet, cool air replaced it. Something _soft_ left his lips, and with it came the rest of rest of the seawater he'd ingested.

Someone_-or something-_wrested him from the water and hauled him onto the beach.

They-_whomever they were-_lowered him gently to the ground. The boy lay on his back, just breathing. It was still dark, but high overhead, he made out a branch. Stretching beyond the canopy, the harsh rays of afternoon sunlight gently slapped him across the face. After the black waters, it felt like stepping into a universe of light. Someone was looming over him, speaking to him; because he recognized the words "you" and "alright" comingled with one another.

The babble of noises faded for a moment, then returned, this time with light and sensation accompanying it. He lay there for a few moments longer, looking on as the world slowly came back into focus. Sight and sound blurred and shifted above him before he finally mustered the strength to squint against the sunlight. Imagine his surprise that he would find a girl looming over him.

And not just any girl.

He took in the large eyes, perfectly coifed hair, clear skin, full lips, and lean, firm curves and he marveled at her. Hers was a beauty beyond describing, but, ultimately, it was the eyes that ensnared him him. Her eyes were wide, expressive pools of pale lavender, so much unlike his own. Hers were eyes that spoke of distress and concern and sheer anxiety and overwhelming pain, but as she saw him move; all of that faded, replaced by a relief as tangible as tears, as palpable as flesh.

"Th-Thank goodness!"

She reached across him, her nimble fingertips working through the shaggy mop of blond that was her hair. He looked at her in surprise and then he saw a kind of relief settle over the girl, her face easing, her shoulders losing their tightness. Seemingly satisfied, she leaned back again, doing her best to ignore his spluttering surprise, and, perhaps, her own cherry pink blush. She hugged his head into her chest, ignorant of the thin stream of blood that spurted out of his nose.

"Are...Are you alright?" when she spoke; it was a soft, whispery sound.

He scraped himself up on his elbows, shaking the stars out of his eyes.

...I'm fine."

She smiled.

"W-What's your name?" She spluttered softly, suddenly.

The boy blinked at that, but saw no harm in giving out his name to his saviour.

"N-Naruto."

Still sitting, she performed a small bow at the waist.

"Ko-Konichiwa then, Naruto-san.

_"Konichiwa."_ He half expected the dark-haired beauty to give her name in turn, but instead her smile; shy, hesitant, tentative, grew. Gingerly, she brought her hand up to his chin, cupping it as though he were made of the most fragile china. In the early morning light, her eyes_-gods!-_seemed to sparkle like gems of the ocean. She smiled and those gems, those pale orbs of lavender, lit up.

"Well then, are you going to be alright**-!** She stiffened suddenly, as the water lapped against her dry legs. Naruto didn't seem to notice. He was too busy staring. In the harsh glare of the sun, he didn't notice much of anything, really. He was far too focused.

Despite all the majesty her eyes held, keeping his gaze focused upon her _face_ however was quickly proving to be its own a trial, thanks in part to the open blouse and the glorious sight that lay within. Naruto felt his cheeks inexplicably darken as a result. Then he chastised himself with a shake of the head. He'd nearly drowned for crissakes! He'd nearly died! He shouldn't even be alive! So why couldn't he stop staring at...at...at...

_A tail?_

His eyes bulged as they _finally_ left her chest and traveled across her lower torso. Or rather, her sudden lack of one. When had that happened? Because her legs weren't there, not anymore. Where her waist began, where her legs _should have been_, there was a tail. Bespeckled with dark scales of violet and indigo glistening in the sun, it bore a strong resemblance to that of a fish. _Wait._ The body of a young girl, with the tail of a fish. No way. She couldn't be. She couldn't...She couldn't possibly...be...

Naruto raised a quivering finger in her direction.

"Oi...miss...

The girl hung her head. She shivered, and hugged both arms to herself, whimpering softly. For a moment, he almost couldn't believe it. A mermaid. A real live mermaid! How, was this possible! Mermaids weren't real! They didn't exist! They weren't supposed to exist! And yet, one had just saved him from drowning! An actual mermaid! And now she was...crying? Wait, why was she crying? Had he done something wrong?

Gingerly_-tenderly-_he reached out. He didn't want to startle her. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He felt that he was at fault somehow. He just wanted to do something to make it right.

"H-Hey now...

Then the mermaid raised her gaze to meet his, and Naruto saw that she was blushing. He also saw that her eyes were brimming with fresh tears. Uh-oh. Dimly, he realized he might have done something wrong, after all. But it was already too late. Far too late.

"You...saw...it...

"Eh?"

_"Kyaah!"_

Something struck his head_-not gently-_and stars, _entire planets_ exploded before his vision. The world swam beneath him and the sky spun overhead. Dimly, he realized that he was about to black out. Again! Had she saved his life just to end it? Was fate truly so cruel to present him with such a beauty only to have her beat his brains in with a rock as large as his head? And was it just his imagination or was she actually...apologizing?

He only had time for one thought as he sank into unconsiousness.

_'Just what the hell have I gotten myself into..._

And then there was only blackness.

**A/N: Sorry if it is short! Those of you who have watched "My Bride is a Mermaid" should know what happens next! And for you NaruxHina fans...REJOICE IN THE AWESOMENESS! And all the rest of you guys and gals! Review!**


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